Discover the The Old Bell in Malmesbury

Kim and Whit wish for The Old Bell Hotel to continue to serve the community as it has for the past 800 years. From opening, they set out on a programme of refurbishments to bring interior design and ambience to the dining room, bar, and lounges, with delicious new food and drink menus. Inviting outdoor areas and luxury to the unique rooms are swiftly following.The local community and leisure guests have embraced this improved ambience and the Abbey Row Restaurant, cocktail bar, high design lounges and delicious food and drinks. Ongoing engagement with the community and its independent shops, artisans, businesses, and entrepreneurs is enabling an exciting programme of guest experiences and activities to begin from early 2022, firmly putting The Old Bell Hotel on the map as a welcoming, active hub of Malmesbury life. Kim and Whit also purchased neighbouring Grade I listed Abbey House & Gardens, Malmesbury on 1 November 2021. Details of their proposals for Abbey House will be announced over time as they work alongside bodies such as Historic England to retain the property’s history and integrity. Kim and Whit will be active owners of both properties and continue to divide their time between Malmesbury and Dripping Springs.

After the purchase of The Old Bell Hotel, a surprising discovery was made when title deeds surfaced revealing that member of the Hanks family - and Whit’s distant relatives, owned part of the Hotel over 150 years earlier. Mark Pleydell Hanks was also recorded as being resident at Abbey House in the 1841 census. The Hanks family are most certainly coming home! Kim and Whit were delighted when they learnt of the discoveries.

In 1220, Abbot Loring erected a hostelry for visiting dignitaries to Malmesbury Abbey, then an important and powerful seat of learning. The Old Bell Hotel, nowadays a mix of architecture -mainly Edwardian, has welcomed guests continuously since then, earning itself the accolade of ‘Oldest hotel in England’. There are traces of every century throughout the hotel, including a hooded stone fireplace in the Bar which dates from 1220.

Prior to this, in the late seventh century, the site of Malmesbury Abbey was chosen by Maildubh, an Irish monk who established a hermitage, teaching local children. Toward the end of his life, the area was conquered by the Saxons. Malmesbury Abbey was founded as a Benedictine Monastery around 676 by the scholar-poet Aldhem, a nephew of King Ine of Wessex. The town of Malmesbury grew round the expanding Abbey and under Alfred the Great was made a burh, with an assessment of 12 hides. In AD 941, the first King of England, Athelstan was buried in the Abbey. Æthelstan had died in Gloucester in October 939. The choice of Malmesbury over the New Minster in Winchester indicated that the King remained an outsider to the West Saxon court. A mint was founded at the Abbey around this time and by the 11th century Malmesbury Abbey contained the second largest library in Europe and was considered one of the leading European seats of learning

Kim Hanks 

As CEO of Whim Hospitality, Kim has grown her business from a small rental company in Dripping Springs, Texas to one of the largest and fastest growing female-led businesses in the US. The diverse and ever-growing range of services has put the business on the Austin Business Journal’s Fast 50 and the Inc. 5000 list for four-consecutive years. Under Kim’s leadership, Whim Hospitality has won local and national awards for their quality of service for rentals, florals, catering, and event management. In addition to being named one of the top women business leaders in Central Texas by the Austin Business Journal, Kim was honoured with one of their Best CEO Awards in 2017. She also serves on several Austin-area tourist-industry organizations and non-profits

Whit Hanks 

Whit founded a successful antiques business, specialising in architectural and international antiques in the mid-1980s while also working as real estate developer in the Central Texas region. He began acquiring property in the Dripping Springs area in 1985, started developing Camp Lucy in 2008, and co-founded Whim Hospitality with Kim in 2012. Whit’s sharp eye for beautiful heritage pieces has helped create the unique setting of the Camp Lucy resort and established Whim Hospitality as one of the premier event services providers in the US. In addition to his responsibilities at Whim and Camp Lucy, Whit serves as the co-founder and Chairman of Pioneer Bank and has served on the Historic Preservation Commission and Economic Development Committee for the City of Dripping Springs.

Whit and Kim’s Descendants - About The Malmesbury Hanks Family 

The Hanks family was very prominent in nineteenth century Malmesbury. One of the most distinguished members was Henry Garlick Hanks who served as the Alderman, or Mayor, on several occasions. He was a talented silversmith and clockmaker and one of his clocks is on display in Malmesbury’s Athelstan Museum. It was Henry and his wife Sarah, who lived in The Old Bell Hotel, where title deeds show the Hanks family bought the leasehold in 1865.